BBC News
30 December 2009

The family of a British man executed in China for drug smuggling has expressed “outrage and shock” at the legal proceedings that resulted in his death.

Akmal Shaikh, 53, a father-of-three from London, died on Tuesday despite claims that he was mentally ill.

In a statement, his family said China’s officials had “made a mockery of appeals for clemency” and ignored pleas for a mental health assessment.

Britain has condemned the execution but China rejects the criticism.

After the execution by lethal injection, the Chinese Embassy in Britain said Mr Shaikh’s rights “were properly respected and guaranteed” and British concerns were “duly noted and taken into consideration”.

Akmal Shaikh’s cousin, Nasir Shaikh: “We would like the Chinese authorities to know our anger and disgust”

Beijing says Mr Shaikh was caught with more than 4kg of heroin in the north-western city of Urumqi in 2007.

He had denied all knowledge of the drugs, and his daughter had said drug smugglers in Poland convinced him they would make him a popstar in China.

The legal charity Reprieve has said a report from a consultant forensic psychologist diagnosed Mr Shaikh with bipolar disorder and delusional psychosis.

‘Distasteful’

“We firmly believe Akmal should not have been killed by the Chinese – he was vulnerable and mentally unstable man, yet he received no mental health assessment by the Chinese authorities at any stage during the proceedings,” the statement from the Shaikh family said.     more …